FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY OF THYROID LESIONS: INSIGHTS AND CLASSIFICATION WITH THE BETHESDA SYSTEM

Background: Thyroid disorders are common endocrine diseases, especially in countries like India with low dietary iodine, making thyroid nodules frequent. Any thyroid enlargement, diffuse or nodular, requires evaluation to rule out neoplasm. FNAC is a sensitive and accurate outpatient procedure for initial diagnosis, distinguishing benign from malignant lesions and guiding management. To categorize Objectives: FNAC results of thyroid lesions cytologically according to the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) – 3rd edition, examine cytomorphological characteristics, and differentiate benign and malignant lesions. A retros Method: pective observational study was conducted on 40 patients with thyroid lesions whose FNAC reports were available between January and March 2025. Morphological characteristics were analyzed. Of 40 patients, most were females (37) and younger. Two cases (5%) w Result: ere nondiagnostic, 27 (67.5%) benign, 2 (5%) atypia of undetermined signicance, 4 (10%) follicular neoplasm, 2 (5%) suspicious for malignancy, and 3 (7.5%) malignant. Among 18 operated cases, 4 were malignant and 14 benign. FNAC showed high sensitivity and specicity in operated cases. FNAC is Conclusion: a rapid and cost-effective tool for thyroid evaluation. The Bethesda system standardizes reporting, improves diagnostic accuracy, and correlates well with histopathology, aiding early detection and management of thyroid malignancies.